Offering more than just high index

Product manager Peter van Elzakker says sustainable dairy farming cannot be achieved by index alone.

"Farmers need to look more broadly than production figures and select genetics that will help them achieve their breeding goals based on the needs of their farm business," he says.

CRV has introduced a wide range of new sires to its portfolio for 2021, with 22 newly graduated sires and 15 new genomic InSires, in addition to 13 new sires in its global portfolio.

"This year's bull team reflects the confidence farmers have in using genetic solutions, such as genomic (InSires) sires and sexed semen, when making breeding decisions," says van Elzakker.

"Improving a herd's environmental efficiency continues to be a priority for many farmers."

Breeding with CRV sires can also help farmers meet the requirements of dairy company payment programmes, like Fonterra's new The Co-operative Difference initiative.

"LowN Sires is an option many farmers are considering, particularly given our 'innovative trait' sires are first and foremost excellent sires in their own right."

NZAEL's Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list represents the top-ranking proven sires in New Zealand. The bulls are ranked according to the National Breeding Objective (BW). To qualify they need to have at least 70% reliability.

CRV's top ranking sire in Puketawa King Connacht JG: a member of the LowN team, offering fantastic longevity, low SCC and strong capacity.

CRV has a number of top ranking new InSires.

In the Crossbred team, Connolly Car Shark offers the full packages - exceptional efficiency, excellent longevity (Plus 450 days) and strong capacity. Friesian and Alcameno MG Roadster S1F is high on both the Efficiency and Health index, a winner for production as well as being suitable for farmers on a Once-a-Day milking system. A very efficient and healhty Jersey is Lynbrook Floyd Gibson ET, which will produce long lasting, very capacious and highly productive daughters.

The 2021 team features 17 FE sires. Breeding animals with an increased tolerance for FE is a trait offered exclusively by CRV and is key to reducing the impact of sub-clinical FE on a dairy herd.

It also offers a team of local and overseas polled sires, meaning all progeny will not grow horns and therefore not require disbudding.

New Zealand farmers are using more sexed semen to give them certainty around increasing the number of heifers entering the herd, calves for export, and to decrease the number of bobby calves.

CRV says it has a wide team of its highest indexing sires, with semen available as sexed or conventional. The team offers options for high indexing, high production, A2 sires.

Farmers looking to condense their calving spread are considering short gestation length sires for later matings. The resulting calves need to be a viable asset to a herd, so the CRV SG sires offer up to 11 days savings with good genetic values.

Automate Team

Automate offers a team approach to breeding, whereby the specific bulls are selected by the CRV breeding team.

The company says the team is selected for more than just high BW. The Automate Crossbred team offers excellent production, good farmer traits, excellent capacity as well as all being A2A2, according to CRV.

"The Automate Friesian team has high BW and offers moderate liveweight, good capacity, excellent udders, as well as all sires being A2A2.

"The Automate Jersey team has high BW, excellent production, along with fertility, longevity A2A2 and strong Body Condition score breeding values."